A collection of invertebrates from the Arocha Dakatcha Nature Reserve and the surrounding area, 2019-2022

Study Extent

All the specimens were collected within the boundaries of the projected ARDNR across all habitats found within it between March 2019 and December 2021. Visits were made to the area monthly and a focused collection of invertebrates was carried out in different locations. Additional time was spent by individuals who camped for up to a month at a time and covered the area in search of invertebrates.

Sampling

To ensure maximum coverage of the whole reserve area for all taxa of biodiversity, a grid of 30 seconds by 30 seconds (approx. 0.9 x 0.9 km) was overlaid on the study area to use as a guide for coverage. The aim of this was to ensure that effort was spread more evenly across the reserve and not focussed always on a handful of sites. Visits were timed to ensure that both wet and dry seasons were covered.

Quality Control

Surveys and identification were done by experienced entomologists who were familiar with the local invertebrates. The list of species was cleaned by experts who know the coastal distribution of species and are familiar with their identification. Any records which were in question were left out pending verification. Open-refine (https://openrefine.org/) was used in data cleaning. Data were aligned according to Darwin Core (DwC) standards.

Method steps

1. The ‘Dakatcha Biodiversity Atlas’ was designed to map the distribution of a range of taxa, including invertebrates, across the A Rocha Dakatcha Nature Reserve area at a relatively fine-scale grid of 30 seconds by 30 seconds. The study area was thus divided into 140 survey grids each measuring approximately 0.9 km x 0.9 km and aligning with the lines of latitude and longitude. The ultimate aim of the atlas system is to thoroughly survey each of the 140 cells and record all the invertebrate species encountered. The data can then be queried for which grids a given species has been recorded and from this determine its distribution across the study area. Expeditions focussing on collecting biodiversity data were carried out over four days monthly between March 2019 and December 2021. Different localities were selected for the campsite for each expedition. Surveys for invertebrates were carried out from dawn in the vicinity of the campsite for each expedition. All invertebrates collected were documented with the geolocated point where encountered using the Kobo Collect app or just through recording position from GPS coordinates. Data from the app were later exported and aligned according to DwC standards. Scientific names in this dataset follow that of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN). Taxon identifiers were taken from GBIF.

The data were collected in and around the A Rocha Dakatcha Nature Reserve (ARDNR) which is a small block (c.6,000 ha) within the larger Dakatcha Key Biodiversity Area (KBA).